Distrust and attacks on journalists on the rise

“We are seeing a trend where journalists are increasingly becoming the target of populist politicians. This has serious impact on the status of journalists and on democratic debate in general, particularly in light of journalism’s key role in holding governments accountable,” says Maximilian Conrad, professor at the University of Iceland’s Faculty of Political Science.

The preliminary results of a new study at the University of Iceland show that journalists today live under increasing pressure. The reasons are rooted in the interplay of populism, social media and a changing attitude towards people in the media. Maximilian’s study examines how mass media, as a pillar of democracy, tackle increased violence and distrust in modern society. 

Emotions and personal opinions over facts and truth

Maximilian’s study has focused on the so-called post-truth condition of journalism and democracy. In this condition, emotions and personal opinions are a driving force rather than facts and truth.

“This is particularly prominent in political discourse among populist leaders, who use social media to establish an emotional bond with their voters, even when their rhetoric is not based on the truth,” explains Maximilian.
Sensed a change after Trump’s former presidency

The idea for this research was born when discussions on fake news and attacks on the media became more prominent in political discourse. He specifically mentions that this increased in the wake of Donald Trump’s first presidency. “I wanted to study the consequences of this on journalists’ work and democratic debate.”

The voices of distrust in the media becoming louder

Maximilian has long been fascinated with the role of news media in democratic states. He mentions especially how the media can contribute to holding the government accountable for its actions and protecting democracy. Even though public trust in news media is still relatively high in almost all European countries, the voices of those who distrust the media are becoming louder. As a result, verbal and physical attacks on journalists have increased. Maximilian points out that populist politicians play a key role in fuelling such attitudes and behaviour.

“In my research, I study how this distrust impacts journalists’ work and trust in news media in Iceland and larger countries such as Germany and Canada,” he explains. 

Maximilian uses both qualitative research methods and case studies to study this impact. He interviews journalists who have been attacked and analyses the circumstances and context of these incidents. 

Journalists observe an increase in attacks

The preliminary findings from the research indicate that journalists in different countries experience similar challenges. Journalists in Canada and Germany say they experienced increased attacks on social media and in the real world. Results show that the groups most affected by the harassment are female and foreign journalists.  

“Even though the Icelandic study is still in its early stages, there are indications that distrust and attacks on the media are also present here, especially when covering controversial issues," says Maximilian.

Fyrisögn H2

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur id fringilla tortor, in pretium mauris. Praesent egestas mi et risus eleifend faucibus in sed dui. Praesent malesuada ut enim et luctus. Proin porta orci ut massa hendrerit efficitur. Aliquam vulputate tristique efficitur. Vivamus ornare suscipit diam quis tincidunt. Nulla facilisi. Praesent hendrerit ornare convallis. Vestibulum quis leo at eros scelerisque scelerisque. Mauris sagittis a tellus vel tempor. Aliquam feugiat aliquam porta. Sed varius ante enim, eget malesuada purus fringilla eu.

Suspendisse at nunc ut nunc dignissim sodales. Suspendisse ipsum nisl, ornare at nisi non, porttitor bibendum urna. In scelerisque sagittis erat, commodo iaculis elit efficitur eget. Vestibulum sit amet ornare diam, sed iaculis magna. Sed sapien mi, volutpat tristique ultricies et, volutpat ac nisl. Curabitur in velit eu tortor aliquet ultrices. Nulla nunc arcu, cursus non augue quis, hendrerit tincidunt magna. Aliquam rhoncus elit eget mauris dignissim, ut tincidunt turpis euismod. Pellentesque ut dolor consectetur, scelerisque odio quis, commodo ipsum. Cras tincidunt diam volutpat ipsum sagittis, eu posuere risus blandit. Phasellus congue fringilla ullamcorper.

Morbi at tortor ut orci aliquet ornare at sit amet erat. Sed lobortis leo nulla. Curabitur vitae neque ut dolor rhoncus interdum. Fusce quis sapien malesuada, viverra ipsum nec, eleifend velit. Duis diam nulla, congue ac turpis a, bibendum interdum ligula. Donec dictum vestibulum dolor, sed sagittis metus ultricies vitae. Ut lorem velit, gravida vel mollis ut, lacinia eu enim.

Shows the importance of the media as a critical force 

The value of Maximilian’s study is twofold. The scientific value includes analysis of concepts like the post-truth condition and the impact of distrust on democratic discourse. The study's societal impact lies in ensuring the importance of the media as a critical force in democratic countries.

“Should this development continue, we could face the danger that the general public will no longer be able to tell fact from fiction,” warns Maximilian.

Maximilian Conrad is a professor at the University of Iceland's Faculty of Political Science and specialises in research on democracy, mass media, and current political discourse. His study aims to better understand how the media can continue to guard democracy in a fast-changing society.